Authorities nabbed the suspect behind the bomb scare incident which targeted the National Privacy Commission (NPC) office.
In a press statement issued on Friday, NPC said the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) led by the NBI Cybercrime Division Atty Jeremy Lotoc arrested the suspect was in Aklan on May 17.
According to the agency, the Cybercrime Division had traced the digital footprint of the suspect.
Official charges against the suspect were already filed with multiple violations of Grave Threats punishable under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or Anti-bomb Joke Law.
"He is undergoing an inquest proceeding before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Pasay," NPC said.
The suspect then explained to the authorities that he sent the bomb threats due to pop-up advertisements on his social media accounts.
Privacy Commissioner John Henry Naga said that people, who threaten public safety and cause fear and panic, would be held accountable for their actions.
“Rest assured, the NPC remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting the privacy rights of Filipinos. We reiterate that incidents such as these will not deter us from fulfilling our responsibilities,” he added.
Naga also thanked the authorities for their quick response to capture the person responsible for the bomb scare.
NPC started to receive a bomb scare in the comment section of its social media posts last May 12 and it continued until May 15, which prompted the Commission to file a complaint.
Written by Stephanie Anne Santos, DZRH News Online Intern